Bronny James makes an anticipated debut at the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas.

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LAS VEGAS – Arms extended steady clutching cellphones fixed on the target, fans at the NBA 2K25 Summer League worked feverishly throughout Lakers team intros to capture the perfect viral shot of Bronny James.

Making his Las Vegas Summer League debut, James brought an air of excitement and anticipation Friday reminiscent of former No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama’s first game at Thomas & Mack Center. All this for the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, one who carries the fanfare – if not the expectations – of a lottery selection.

While James set a new scoring high for the summer in the opening quarter alone (six points), he finished with eight points on 3-for-14 shooting (0-8 3PM) as the Los Angeles Lakers fell 99-80 to the Houston Rockets.

“I think you just have to let go of outcomes and just enjoy the process of being in the NBA,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, during the ESPN broadcast of the game. “He’s obviously case study No. 1. We’re going to invest heavily in him. He’s got to fall in love with that process and let go of outcomes.”

Here are three takeaways from James’ debut in Las Vegas:

1. Poise in the moment

That’s what we witnessed in front of a pro-Bronny crowd packed inside a sweltering Thomas & Mack Center. “Let’s go Bronny” screams pierced the noise during breaks, but James never let the atmosphere, or offensive struggles, affect his overall play.

The 19-year-old hoisted a team-high five shots in the opening frame, hitting two. Those attempts came within the flow of the offense; he never forced action despite adrenaline and a packed house likely pushing him to do otherwise. In fact, James didn’t even take a shot in the second quarter.

James misfired from deep in transition on the first attempt, though he still capped that possession with a driving layup. James scored two more points from the free-throw line and finished his first-half scoring with a dunk.

A lone early miscue came after ripping down one of his four first-half rebounds, when Nate Williams poked the ball loose and scored in transition.

Defensively, James held his own guarding sweet shooting No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard, who got on track after a 2-for-7 start and finished with a team-high 23 points (9-17 FGs).

2. Progress for Bronny?

James appeared to make progress in his Las Vegas debut. Through three games this summer, James has shot 6-for-26, which isn’t optimal. But we’re talking about a 19-year-old who is more of a project than a player at this point in his development. James took more shots on Friday than in his previous two contests combined.

While the percentages don’t jump out, the fact James was willing to take those shots shows progress. James projects as a 3-and-D player moving forward. We’ve seen the D. It’s time to show us the 3.

Redick told James before the game he wanted the rookie pressuring the ball. “If you get blown by,” he said, “that’s on me.”

The latter didn’t happen, and James managed to nab two steals while looking like he could prove to be an on-ball menace. Over his last two games, James has logged four steals, 10 rebounds and three blocks with five turnovers.

3. ‘No shortcuts, that’s for sure’

Naturally, you’re likely wondering how LeBron and Bronny James might function in a Lakers locker room setting, given their family relationship. The elder James touched on it Thursday during an interview on TODAY, pointing out he can separate fatherhood from teammate.

EXCLUSIVE: LeBron James @KingJames sat down with TODAY’s @craigmelvin to talk about being a part of @TeamUSA @usabasketball, his legacy, how he will hold son and new teammate Bronny 'accountable' on the court, and more. pic.twitter.com/KxbQgh1N2W

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 11, 2024

“It’s going to work just like any one other of my teammates,” James said. “I’m going to hold him accountable, and he should hold me accountable when I do things not right. As he continues to grow, as he continues to learn, I hope he’s able to separate son from teammate as well.”

Sounds easier said than done. But we’ll soon see how it works out for the first father-son duo to play at the same time in the NBA … and on the same team.

“We have one common goal on the floor, and that’s to win the game and get better every day,” LeBron James said. “I probably will hold him at a higher standard because I want him to be great. It won’t be no shortcuts, that’s for sure.”

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